Ruby Stars
by E350
Summary: Sadie Miller. Ex-donut girl. Band frontman. Daughter of Ruby-1GK. With her world rocked to its core by this discovery, Sadie now struggles to come to terms with her heritage. As the human and gem worlds intertwine, she must find her place in a universe far bigger than she ever imagined. Sequel to The Eye of the Storm. Some dark themes. Connverse, Larsadie, Amedot.
1. The Fountain

I forgot to upload this to FFN last week and boy is my face red. Almost... _Ruby_ red. Yes sir, I am a funny one.

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

 **The Fountain**

"Are we rolling?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, good. _Ahem._ Welcome to my new video blog, _The Crystal Gems and You!_ "

Ronaldo Fryman stood on the top of the cliff, the picket fence in the background. He wore his suit jacket and tie and carried a battered microphone that didn't actually work in his hand. Peedee stood in front of him, recording him on an old camcorder.

"Now, not many of you may know this, but this town is inhabited by a team of magical women called the Crystal Gems," said Ronaldo.

"I'm pretty sure people know that, Ron," grunted Peedee.

Ronaldo shushed him.

"Yes!" he exclaimed, "Real magical women, right in Beach City! But worry not, dear viewers, for these Crystal Gems are here to help us! Take this fence, for example."

He walked over to the fence, leaning against it.

"Are you sure you should..."

"Peedee, we're filming," said Ronaldo firmly, "Now, you might be asking, why would magical ladies build a picket fence? I have the answer."

He leaned further over the fence, looking down over the cliff.

"Inside this cliff is a colony of tiny, carnivorous tunnel monsters bent on devouring..."

"Ronaldo!"

Peedee jumped as Mr. Fryman stormed up the hill. Ronaldo turned his head to look at his approaching father but continued to lean heavily on the fence.

"You were supposed to be on shift ten minutes ago!" snapped Mr. Fryman.

" _Daaaaad_ , I'm educating the public!" replied Ronaldo, "I have a responsibility to the people..."

"You have a _responsibility_ to empty the grease traps!" grunted Mr. Fryman, "You can do your conspiracy theory stuff after work, but I need..."

" _I_ need to tell people the truth!" retorted Ronaldo, "You just refuse to understand! This is my calling, dad, and you're chafing m-"

 _CRACK._

The fence gave way.

For a brief moment, everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Ronaldo saw the beach about thirty feet below him - he suddenly realised how high that actually was. Maybe he shouldn't have leant on that fence after all.

Then gravity kicked in and down he fell.

* * *

Sadie Miller sat on the couch in the Beach House, gazing at the small box on the coffee table.

To say she'd had a rough few days would be an enormous understatement. If she were to tell someone who hadn't been there about it, they'd probably think she was mad. Over the course of just two days, her estranged father had returned - as a government agent on the trail of a mysterious object. A chance discovery of a photograph in his wallet had then revealed that her parents had found a crashed alien ship when they were first dating. She'd searched for answers and found nothing but lies and half-truths, until eventually, her parents had been pushed into a position where they had been forced to tell the truth.

The man she thought had been her father, Agent Clancy Miller, was not. Her true father was a gem, a Ruby designated 1GK - Kay for short. She had had an affair with her mother, and that affair had resulted in her. Only Clancy had attacked Kay at the moment of conception, and as a result, Kay's gem - _her_ gem - had had to be removed.

Now it sat in the box in front of her. She hadn't dared to open it - in any case, she had no key, though she waged a good hammer or rock would get it open.

Now she was here. Clancy had gone back to Washington and she couldn't face her mother at the moment, so she had opted to stay at Steven's place for the time being. She'd now been a guest at the Temple for three days. Steven and Peridot had done their best to make her feel welcome, but there was a dark atmosphere in the house - Sadie had not been the only one to have been lied to.

Amethyst lay on Steven's bed, staring at the ceiling. The Gems had left on a mission which Amethyst had refused to join, and Steven and Connie had taken Peridot to Funland to give them both some space. She almost wished they'd stayed - the house felt way too quiet.

"Hey, donut girl?"

Sadie looked up.

"You can call me Sadie, you know?" she said, "I mean, I don't even work at the Big Donut anymore..."

"Uh-huh," nodded Amethyst, "You ever think of just...running off and doing your own thing?"

Sadie shrugged.

"That's kind of what I'm doing now," she said.

"Yeah, but I mean leaving _everything_ ," explained Amethyst, "Like, disappearing. Leaving everyone behind and starting over somewhere else. Somewhere not in Beach City."

Sadie scratched her chin.

"Maybe?" she shrugged, "But I don't I think...I've got friends here. Like Buck, Sour Cream, Jenny, Steven. Lars when he gets home. And I guess I need them right now - they keep everything stable."

Amethyst blew a hair out of her face.

" _Stable_ ," she muttered, "Who wants to be stable?"

"I guess-"

There was a loud banging on the door.

"Ugh, mailman," grumbled Amethyst.

"But Jamie's already been, hasn't he?" said Sadie, getting up.

She opened the door.

"Peedee, what are you- _oh my gosh!_ "

Peedee stood at the door, pale and shaking. Behind him, Mr. Fryman was carrying an unconscious Ronaldo over his shoulder - he was badly bruised, his arm bent backwards in a nauseating fashion. She could see several more injures, and he was bleeding from a gash over his forehead. She fought the urge to retch.

" _What happened?_ " demanded Sadie.

"He was leaning on the fence," Peedee replied frantically, "And it broke and he..."

"Never mind!" interrupted Mr. Fryman, "Just get him an ambulance."

Amethyst walked down from Steven's bed as Sadie fished for her phone. She winced.

"Aw man, that looks _bad_ ," she said.

" _You think?!_ " shouted Peedee, " _He fell off a cliff!_ "

"What, near the lighthouse?" asked Amethyst, "But that's why we put the fence there..."

She snapped her fingers.

"Hey, donut girl, forget the ambulance, I got a better idea," she said.

"What do you mean _forget the ambulance?_ " spluttered Peedee, "My brother might be _dying_ , and I can't..."

"We've got Rose's healing fountain," explained Amethyst, "I mean, Garnet and Pearl said I'm not supposed to talk about that to humans..."

Her expression darkened.

"...but you know, who cares what they think," she growled.

"A magic fountain?" asked Peedee, "And it'll heal him?"

"Yep," nodded Amethyst.

"Does this fountain have a warp pad?" asked Sadie.

"Sure does."

"No," snapped Mr. Fryman, "Sadie, call that ambulance. I'm not going to risk-"

Peedee turned to Mr. Fryman.

"Dad, if we go to this fountain, Ronaldo won't have to go to the hospital," he said, "Maybe he'll have a better chance, and...and you know we can't afford..."

" _Peedee_ ," said Mr. Fryman.

Peedee stopped talking, but continued to look at his father with pleading, watery eyes.

Mr. Fryman turned to Amethyst.

"You _promise_ me this fountain of yours will work?" he demanded.

Amethyst nodded. Mr. Fryman breathed in and out, closing his eyes.

"Alright," he said, "Take us there."

* * *

The fountain was an amazing sight. It was a great, walled courtyard, surrounded on all sides by towering mountains. At the centre stood the enormous fountain - water flowed from the eyes of a massive statue of Rose Quartz, gently flowing into the stone catchment below. Sadie had no time to take in the sight at the moment, of course - Ronaldo needed her help.

Mr. Fryman carried Ronaldo over as quickly as he dared, taking care not to knock him on the way. Amethyst went on ahead, stopping next to the fountain and patting the stone wall.

"Alright, just dunk him in," she said, "Let the water do the rest."

Mr. Fryman lay him gently on the side of the fountain. He gave the purple gem a meaningful gaze.

"Are you _sure_ this is gonna work?" he asked.

Amethyst nodded.

"Alright," he said, "What do I do?"

"Like I said, dunk him in," shrugged Amethyst.

Mr. Fryman turned to Peedee. He swallowed and nodded.

Gently, Mr. Fryman lifted Ronaldo up again, lowering him into the light pink waters of the fountain. As the water touched his skin, it began to glow softly.

Sadie gasped as she watched Ronaldo's wounds begin to heal. His gashes closed themselves, his bruises vanished and his arm reset itself. It was as if time was running backwards, every injury disappearing as though it was never there to begin with. It was like magic - no, it _was_ magic.

Ronaldo coughed. Mr. Fryman jumped, accidentally dropping Ronaldo into the fountain. He landed with a big splash, drenching his father.

"Ron!" exclaimed Peedee, running over, "Are you okay?"

Ronaldo slowly sat up, rubbing his head. He slowly glanced up at Peedee.

"Come on, say something!" Peedee begged.

Ronaldo coughed again and cleared his throat.

"Uh...you...you got that all on camera, right?"

"Oh, Ronaldo, you dumb..."

Peedee didn't finish his sentence, instead embracing his brother in a tight hug. He laughed and cried at the same time - Ronaldo, somewhat confused, hugged him back.

Mr. Fryman shook his head.

"I...I can't...how do I thank you?" he asked.

"Well, you could fix the fence," suggested Amethyst.

"The f...yeah, the fence, consider it done," said Mr. Fryman.

Sadie stared at the fountain as Peedee helped his brother out of the water.

"So this can heal anything?" she asked.

"Sort of?" replied Amethyst, "I mean, I don't think it works if you're sick, because otherwise Pearl would've probably drowned Steven in this the first time he got a cold. She might not have thought of that though..."

Sadie nodded, deep in thought.

Mr. Fryman walked up to his son, putting his hands on his shoulders.

"Ronaldo," he said, "Don't you _ever_ scare me like that again."

He pulled him into a hug. Sadie felt a slight pang in her heart - she had to turn away.

"You wanna talk about it?"

Peedee walked up, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I mean, I heard something happened with you and your mom," he said, "Are you okay?"

Sadie sighed.

"I'll be fine," she replied, "I'm just working through some stuff, you know?"

"Well, if you ever need anything, let me know," said Peedee, "Even if you just want some free food. It's the least I can do, y'know?"

Sadie nodded.

"I'll keep that in mind," she said.

* * *

They warped back into the Beach House, finding Steven, Connie and Peridot watching something on Peridot's tablet.

"Amethyst, Sadie! There you are!" said Connie, "I...Ronaldo, do you have _blood_ on your shirt?!"

"Long story," replied Ronaldo, "And you can read all about it on _Keep Beach City Weird_ tonight!"

Mr. Fryman opened his mouth as if to say something, but he seemed to decide against it. Instead he put a hand on Ronaldo's shoulder and gave him a tired smile.

"Well, let's get you home," he said, "It's been a long day."

"What about the restaurant?" asked Peedee.

"Forget it," replied Mr. Fryman, "One missed dinner rush won't kill us. I'd rather just have a family night in with my boys..."

He led his sons out the door and off down the beach. Steven looked questioningly at Amethyst.

"Stuff happened," shrugged Amethyst.

Sadie walked over to the coffee table and picked up Kay's box.

"If Rose could take Kay's... _my_ gem off," she said, "Could her fountain reattach it?"

Steven and Connie exchanged glances.

"I dunno," replied Amethyst, "I mean, _possibly?_ "

"More like _probably._ "

All eyes fell on Peridot, who was looking thoughtfully at the box.

"Rose Quartz could heal any physical ailments, right?" asked Peridot, "You not having your gem is a physical ailment. Logically, her tears could reunite your gem to your physical form."

"Like magic glue," nodded Steven.

Peridot winced.

"Yes, I _suppose_ we could call it that," she said, "But it wouldn't be very _proper_..."

"It's worth a shot, at least," shrugged Sadie.

She shook her head.

"I probably shouldn't," she said, "Mom wouldn't want that. Garnet and Pearl wouldn't..."

" _Sadie._ "

Amethyst spoke up, crossing her arms.

"This is _your_ gem," she said, "And _your_ body, and _your_ life. It's not up to Pearl or Garnet or Barb. This is _your_ choice. You wanna try putting that gem back on? I've got your back."

There was a long silence.

Sadie gazed down at the box. She knew that there was no guarantee that her plan would actually work. It was more likely that she was setting herself up for disappointment. Even if it did work, she had no idea what it would do to her. Would it simply attach? Would her body react badly to it? And would she then have to deal with emerging powers in the same way that Steven had? And could she be sure she wasn't just taking these risks to spite her mother and Clancy?

And yet this was her gem. Clancy had said as much. Now that she knew about it, she could hardly leave it out of sight and out of mind. And if Kay had been willing to have her, even despite losing her physical form, she must have intended for her to carry her gem, right? Surely this would just be setting right what had gone wrong. And if nothing else, she would have peace of mind when it was done, right?

She came to a decision.

"Tonight," declared Sadie, "We'll go tonight. Are you guys in?"

"Well, you'll need a certified kindergartener on hand, so yes, I'm in," replied Peridot.

"I'll ask mom if I can stay here tonight," said Connie, "It's not a school night, so she _might_ say yes..."

"And I'll come too," nodded Steven, "Although I might be able to just spit on you see if that works."

"Thanks Steven," replied Sadie, "But I'd really rather you didn't."

* * *

AN: I honestly don't blame you Sadie.


	2. Complications

A complicated chapter.

* * *

 **Complications**

The new office made the gloomy office back in Washington look positively luxurious.

Agent Clancy Miller had been sad to leave the old Extraterrestrial Desk. Sure, the room was frigid in winter and baking in summer, sure you couldn't move your arm without elbowing another agent, and certainly the roof leaked over his chair when it rained, but in a way it was home. He'd miss the secretaries at the entrance to the building. He'd miss the curious people who worked in the other offices along the hallway. He'd missed the Head...

...actually, no, scratch that, he certainly would _not_ miss the Head.

He'd been seen off with little fanfare. Agents Fletcher and Thompson from next door had stopped by to help him pack up (they weren't close friends but they had often met up in the break room), and one of the security guards had put his valuables in a safe for him. Other than that, he and Agent Bracknell left quietly in the early afternoon. He preferred it that way, really.

The new office was in a mothballed factory on the outskirts of Wilmingmore. It was the old foreman's office, overlooking the factory floor. They had made cars for the Tucker Corporation, building their highly successful 'Torpedoes' before the company moved production to Jersey in 1973. There were still incomplete car bodies on the rusting assembly line, weeds and flowers growing through them. No wonder the OSS had gotten the office cheap, Clancy thought ruefully.

Bracknell, who Clancy had gathered was irrepressibly cheerful and enthusiastic, had already claimed one of the desks (which thankfully had been refurbished - the OSS wasn't _that_ cheap) and was now staring at the window at the factory floor.

"Do you think," he said, "If I took little bits from all of 'em, I could make my own Torpedo?"

"I dunno, _Johnny Cash_ ," grumbled Clancy, "Look, just set your desk up so we can go find where they're making us sleep."

He shook his head.

"Probably in a hammock or something," muttered Clancy, "And we'll have to share the..."

The phone rang. Clancy let it ring twice before answering.

"Clancy Miller."

" _Ah, Agent Miller. Glad to hear you've arrived._ "

The voice was light and had an almost exaggerated Southern twang. It was like the old landowners and politicians Clancy had seen on the television as a boy in Appalachia.

"And who might I say is speaking?" asked Clancy.

" _My name is Lieutenant-Colonel Bradshaw of the United States Army_ ," replied the man smoothly, " _I am heading up Task Force Gem by order of the President, and the OSS has graciously offered you assistance to our mission._ "

"Task Force... _Gem?_ " said Clancy incredulously.

" _Why yes, my boy_ ," replied Bradshaw.

"I'm in my forties, Colonel," Clancy grunted.

" _After your unfortunate failure to recover the Ruby, for which none of us at all blame you,_ " said Bradshaw (Miller did not believe him), " _The President decided that more proactive action will be needed in our relationship with the esteemed Crystal Gems._ "

"I hope that doesn't mean attacking them," said Clancy, "Because if I'm honest, you probably won't win."

" _We don't intend to open hostilities, Agent Miller,_ " replied Bradshaw, " _Perish the thought that any of those fine women come to harm unnecessarily._ "

 _Yeah_ , thought Clancy, _They're_ definitely _the ones who'd get hurt._

" _But we need Gem technology. You've seen it yourself, Agent Miller - these Gems, Crystal and Homeworld, have no respect for American sovereignty. They fly craft in and out of our atmosphere at a whim, and we have no recourse to stop them. We must, we_ must _catch up to their level._ "

 _You got a spare thousand years?_ thought Clancy.

"So what kind of tech are we thinking of, Colonel?" he asked.

" _Anything you can get your hands on without attracting the gems' attention,_ " replied Bradshaw, " _If it isn't nailed down, we want it. I will send a man over in the morning to give you your first assignment. Good day, Agent Miller._ "

"Colonel, I don't think-"

The line went dead. Clancy frowned.

"Damn it," he cursed.

"Problem, sir?" asked Bracknell.

"Don't call me sir, I work for a living," replied Clancy, "I just got a call from an Army colonel. We've got GIs in our hair, Bracknell."

"Is that bad?" asked Bracknell.

"Let me put it this way," replied Clancy darkly, "He's military, we're intelligence."

"So?" shrugged Bracknell, "They go together, right? Military Intelligence?"

"One thing you'll find out soon enough," said Clancy, "Is that Military Intelligence is a contradiction in terms."

"There are smart people in the army, aren't there?" asked Bracknell, "I mean, my uncle was..."

"Oh yeah, there's smart people in the military," nodded Clancy, "And one perfect day, the generals may listen to them. But for now, be on your guard."

He looked out the window over the rusty assembly line.

"I've got a _very_ bad feeling about this 'Task Force Gem.'"

* * *

" _...well...I suppose it's alright. Just remember to eat something healthy for dinner._ "

"Yes! Thanks mom, I'll see you tomorrow!"

Connie hung up the phone.

"She said I could stay," she said, sitting down on the couch.

Sadie, Steven, Amethyst and Peridot were sitting around the coffee table, waiting for night to fall before they headed to the fountain. In the kitchen, Greg was packing some groceries into the fridge - he glanced over at them, looking a little worried.

"Are you sure you don't want me to tell Garnet and Pearl?" he asked, "I'm sure they wouldn't object to this..."

"Yeah Greg, that's why they didn't tell us for twenty years," grumbled Amethyst, "They _really_ wanted this to happen, you know?"

"Well, they've got to have had their reasons, right?" shrugged Greg, "I mean, I'm not _defending_ them, but..."

Amethyst sighed and ran her hands through her hair.

"Greg, can we talk outside for a sec?" she asked.

Greg nodded, putting down the bag of groceries and following the purple gem outside.

The sunset was a brilliant red, and the breeze was cool and gentle. A small tall ship could be seen a short ways up the coast - probably from one of those historical sailing clubs up around Lewes. It was the very picture of calm, which made Amethyst's clear unease a stark contrast.

She sat on the top stair. Carefully, Greg sat down next to her.

"Why aren't you mad?" she asked, "They lied to you, too. _Rose_ lied to you."

Greg sighed.

"I guess I'm a little upset," he replied, "But I think...I think they were trying to _protect_ me, and I can appreciate that. I don't think it was _right_ , but I appreciate it."

He turned to Amethyst.

"But how about you?"

Amethyst sat back, looking up at the sky.

"It's not just that they didn't tell me," she said, "It's that they _used_ me."

She scowled.

"Back when we first discovered _Lil' Butler_ ," she said, "I'd talk to the other Gems about it a lot. It drove Pearl nuts and I don't think Garnet really _got_ it, but Rose...Rose always listened. She actually got a TV guide so that I could tell when it was on. And I was so happy about that, because I had someone who was interested in what I had to say. But now I think...did she just do that so that'd I keep you distracted?"

She rubbed a hand over her face.

"It's not even the first time they've lied to me," she said, "I mean, they've told me _nothing_ about the war."

"It's probably hard for them to talk about," replied Greg, "War's pretty terrible, Amethyst."

"Yeah, but it's where we came from, right?" said Amethyst, "Heck, I didn't even know about what happened to Pink Diamond until Steven did! I just thought she'd been shattered in some battle, I didn't think it was actually some kind of _assassination_."

There was a long silence.

"Maybe they were worried about what you'd think of Rose if they told you," suggested Greg, "I mean, when _Steven_ found out...he worried me for a while, Amethyst. He still kinda does. And maybe they didn't want you to go through something like that."

"Yeah," sighed Amethyst, "Maybe. I don't know."

She shook her head.

"Well, a little distance could help," suggested Greg, "Take some time away from Garnet and Pearl, work out what you think. Maybe absence will make the heart grow fonder?"

"That's a dumb saying," muttered Amethyst.

"Yeah, I was gonna put that in a song, but it was too cheesy," nodded Greg.

He stood up.

"Look, if you need to talk to somebody about anything, my door's always open," he said, "I'm willing to listen."

Amethyst allowed herself a small smile and climbed to her feet.

"What, are you a therapist now?" she asked.

"No, just a friend," replied Greg.

" _Wow_ , that was cheesy," chuckled Amethyst.

They laughed and walked back inside.

* * *

The night was dark and the moon was full.

The warp pad activated, landing Sadie and her friends at the fountain courtyard. She shivered - the air was cold and the atmosphere was heavy. She felt chilled to the bone.

They walked over to the fountain without a word, Connie carrying the box in her hands. When they arrived, she gingerly placed it on the side of the fountain.

"Okay," she said, "How do we open it? I mean, we should probably be..."

Amethyst shifted her hand into a large hammer and slammed it into the lock. There was a loud crack as the lock broke open.

"...okay," nodded Connie, "That works too."

She stepped aside, allowing Sadie to gingerly open the box. She swallowed, her lips feeling dry, as she looked inside for the first time.

The Ruby resting on the padded interior of the box looked to all the world like an ordinary gemstone. There was an enormous, round crack in the middle of the stone; Sadie gathered that it was where the bullet had hit, and was surprised to see how little damage it had actually done. She'd expected the Ruby to have at least split in half. Carefully, she took out the gem, turning it over in her hands. It was light, but in a way it was heavier than anything Sadie had ever held.

"Kay," she whispered.

Peridot looked over the gem. She took it from Sadie, lifted it to her mouth and licked it.

"Is that really necessary?" asked Steven.

Peridot swallowed and nodded.

"Just below the collarbone," she said, "Like Amethyst."

"You can tell that just from licking it?" quizzed Steven.

"Steven, I'm a _certified_ _kindergartener_ ," scoffed Peridot, "If I couldn't tell where a gem's placement was just from taste, I wouldn't have become such a big deal on Homeworld."

Amethyst snorted.

Peridot handed the gem back to Sadie. She looked down at the fountain and gulped.

"So what do I do?" she asked.

"Heal the crack first," replied Peridot.

Sadie lowered the gem into the fountain. It glowed for a second - she watch the crack vanish through the clear waters, her breath caught in her throat. Soon she lifted it out - it was in pristine condition.

"Alright," nodded Peridot, "Now press it to the spot. Just under your collar."

Sadie handed the gem to Steven and pulled her shirt down slightly. She breathed in deeply.

"Okay," she said, "Here goes nothing."

She nodded to Steven. He swallowed, and carefully pressed the gem against the top of her chest.

For a second, nothing seemed to happen. Then, as if caught in quicksand, the gem began to sink into Sadie's skin. She watched in wonder, feeling a strange, tickling sensation as the skin under the gem seemed to disappear, replaced with the cold, hard rock. Then, as abruptly as it began, the sensation stopped and the gem was still.

Sadie nodded.

"Well, that was easier then...then..."

She held her head, hearing whispers in her thoughts.

 _...inspection of the Cluster will proceed. Peridot 5XA will be in command with Ruby 1GK as her bodyguard..._

 _...I still don't think this is the right course..._

"My head," she muttered, her vision starting to swim.

"Sadie?" asked Steven.

 _...I don't care. The development of the Cluster will be continued; the weapon will be developed on schedule. I...Agate! Remove the Peridot and her guards, I wish to speak with Blue Diamond alone..._

 _...Yes, My Diamond. Peridot! Ruby! Dismissed..._

Through the darkness, towering above the mountains, Sadie swore she could see a giant, shadowed figure.

"Do you...do you see that?" she asked.

"See what, Sadie?" replied Connie, "Are you okay?"

The dark figured turned, and suddenly Sadie's whole vision was filled a brilliant white.

 _Pain._

Sadie clutched her head, screaming as her whole body was filled with searing, burning agony. She collapsed to the ground, curling into a ball - she could hear a cry, but could not tell who. The gem, once cold, now felt like the surface of the sun on her skin, and her mind swam with alien thoughts and strange images.

She glimpsed her hand - it looked like it was red hot, literally steaming from the intense heat. She clenched her fist, closed her eyes and screamed again. It was an echoing, ear-piercing shriek.

She opened her eyes again. She was on her back, looking up at a terrified, panicking Steven. She tried to reach up to him, but she felt too weak to lift her arms.

She screamed once more, and then merciful, blissful darkness took hold of her.

* * *

AN: Well, that went well!


	3. The Vision

Holy trippy vision sequence, Batman.

* * *

 **The Vision**

Sadie floated in a void of darkness.

She felt strange and slightly light-headed. When she looked down at herself, she found that she was wearing a strange outfit; a sleeveless, low-collared jumpsuit, through which she could see her red gem. It was red - light around her chest and darker around her waist - and was cut off at her knees. Emblazoned on her collar was a small, white diamond. Altogether, the outfit reminded her somewhat of Peridot's.

"Huh," she said to herself, " _Weird._ "

Slowly, the void began to fade. She found herself floating in a massive, cavernous, red-walled cave, each wall littered with humanoid-shaped holes. Below her was a marching column - rows of five Rubies each, stretching on and on into the dark tunnels. At their head was a bigger gem - she was tall, white and ornately dressed, carrying what looked like a riding crop under her arm. She was bellowing orders at the top of her voice.

"C'mon, you lousy clumps of rock, keep time!" she thundered, "G3P, you are _out of step!_ That is _not acceptable!_ C'mon, _left! Right! Left! Right!_ "

Before too long, Sadie could see light streaming out from high above. This gap in the carnivorous tunnels expanded and expanded as the Rubies marched on, until eventually they emerged into a massive clearing - it was like quarry mashed with a parade ground, onto which other white gems were leading their own streams of Rubies. It was like watching a gigantic military parade, the likes of which Sadie had only seen in grainy newsreels in history class.

She had never seen so many people.

At the centre of the clearing was an enormous white palanquin - it was perhaps the size of a small office building. The Rubies gathered around it - before long, the marching had stopped, and a deafening silence fell.

Before long, a tall, spindly gem stepped out. She was green and had an almost perfectly spherical gem on her head. She wore a brilliant silver uniform, criss-crossed by shiny black straps that ran diagonally from her shoulders to her waist. Her boots, also jet back, went right up to her knees, and she wore matching black gloves. She had no nose and a thin mouth; her eyes were glassy and featureless. She was completely bald. Two other gems, both green, spiky haired and with massive shoulder pads, flanked her on either side - they came up to her waist.

One of the white gems - the one Sadie had been following - marched forward. She snapped to attention in front of the tall gem.

"Seraphinite," she barked, "We have assembled this cycle's batch of-"

The tall gem's eyes flashed. The white gem screeched, falling to her knees and clutching her head.

"You will address me as _Supreme Marshal Seraphinite_ , Agate," she said evenly - her voice was soft and melodic.

The Agate winced, but quickly got back to her feet and saluted.

"Yes, Supreme Marshal, please forgive me," she said somewhat shakily, "In any case, please allow us to present this cycle's batch of Rubies for inspection."

Seraphinite gazed out over the mass of Rubies. For a long time, she said nothing.

"I can see many discolorations, Agate," she said at last.

"S-Supreme Marshal, surely, I can't be blamed for the incompetence of a Peri-"

She clutched her head and screamed again.

"I am not here for _excuses_ , Agate," said Seraphinite, "Your Diamond requested five thousand Rubies to reinforce her battalions on Homeworld. A cursory glance indicates that you will not even be able to provide half that number. This batch is _remarkably_ poor."

The Agate got back to her feet again but said nothing - evidentially she had decided that it would be wiser to stay quiet.

Seraphinite looked over the Rubies again. Her eyes fell on the troop that Sadie had followed.

"Identify that unit, Agate," she ordered.

"The Third Cohort, Supreme Marshal," replied the Agate.

Seraphinite nodded.

"Prepare them for immediate transport," she ordered, "Destroy the rest and begin preparation of the next batch. If this happens again, this planet and all gems stationed here will be decommissioned. Is that clear?"

The Agate swallowed.

"Yes, Supreme Marshal."

She turned.

"Third Cohort will march to the transports immediately!" she bellowed, "The rest will..."

"Wait."

The Agate turned. Seraphinite had raised a hand.

"I have just received an order from my Diamond," she said evenly, "She will handle this matter herself."

The Agate's eyes widened.

"But...but...Supreme Marshal, this is highly..."

The palanquin's flap slowly opened. A brilliant white emitted from the inside - it was almost like staring into the sun, and Sadie found herself squinting.

The Agate shook, watching as the magnificent, pale form emerged from the palanquin. Sadie couldn't make out a single detail about her save that she was utterly enormous - it was like a _gap_ in reality shaped like the outline of a person.

"My stars," gasped the Agate, "She's... _she's beautiful_..."

"You will be replaced in short order," said the Seraphinite, " _Dismissed._ "

There was an enormous flash, and Sadie's whole world was consumed in a pool of white. She forced her eyes shut, bracing herself - she felt an enormous gust of wind crash against her, like waves in a rough sea. She heard an ethereal sound, almost like music...

When she opened her eyes, she was floating in a great cloud of red dust. She heard Seraphinite's voice on the wind.

"...yes, My Diamond, most of the Third Cohort remains intact, albeit they have poofed...understood, My Diamond, I shall order them sent to Homeworld immediately..."

Sadie felt her eyelids grow heavy, and within a few seconds she had drifted away.

* * *

The main thing about space was that most of it was _empty._ Sometimes, they'd make a jump and find themselves in an asteroid field, or next to a dying star, or (in the worst cases) right in the middle of a Homeworld patrol. Most of the time, though, they'd end up in quiet, empty space.

Warp jumps tended to drain the engines, which meant they'd have to sit in place for a while and let them regain energy before jumping again. This gave the crew of the _Sun Incinerator_ enough time to unwind for a moment; to let themselves recover from whatever incident they'd last been involved in. In this case, they'd just managed to dodge a pair of pirate-hunting ships off a Homeworld space station, so the respite was pretty welcome.

Lars sat on the captain's chair, nearly dozing. He didn't exactly _need_ to sleep anymore - he could tire, but that was more fatigue than anything - but it helped him mentally centre himself. The rest of the Off-Colors were off doing their own thing - Padparadscha and Rhodonite were in the crew quarters, Fluorite was watching over the engines, and he didn't quite know where the Rutile Twins were - he suspected that they were probably walking around, as they tended to get restless when they stayed in one place for too long.

Lars yawned and stretched. He'd been thinking about home (no, he had _not_ been trying not to cry - I mean, sure, his eyes were a bit wet, but it was space dust, honest). It had been a while since Steven had been round, and he wondered if everything was okay.

He shrugged. The kid was probably busy with Crystal Gem stuff. Beach City was probably completely fine-

He jumped out of his skin as Steven and Connie burst out of his head.

"What the- _Steven?!_ " he exclaimed, "Geez, can't you let me know when you're coming?"

"No time!" replied Steven frantically, "Bend over, I need to grab someone else."

Lars blinked.

"Uh...okay," he nodded.

He bowed his head. Steven reached into his hair and quickly dragged a green gem out - Peridot, Lars remembered. Reaching back in again, he dragged out Amethyst, who was carrying the limp form of...

Lars gasped.

" _Sadie?!_ " he spluttered, "What... _why is she unconscious?! Steven, what the hell happened?!_ "

"Lars, I'm sorry, but a lot's been happening and I meant to tell you but things got out of control and we went behind the Gems back and now Peridot needs Homeworld tech and I thought I might find..."

" _Steven!_ " exclaimed Lars, " _Slow it down!_ "

"Unconscious," said Peridot curtly, "Gem. Need Homeworld tech. Wow thanks."

She rolled her onto his back. Lars' eyes widened.

"Sadie...has a _gem?_ " he gasped, "When did that happened?"

"Well, do you want the long version or the short version?" asked Amethyst.

"I-I-I-whatever works, just explain it!" shouted Lars.

"We found out that Sadie's supposed to be part gem," replied Connie, "And when we tried to put it on she passed out."

"Okay, thank you, I get it now... _I guess_ ," said Lars, running a hand over his face, "But wait, if she's just... _sleeping_ or something, can't you go into her head or something?"

"Well, I need to be asleep to do that," replied Steven, "And I've sort of got a lot of adrenaline right now, so..."

He trailed off. Sadie's gem was starting to glow a faint red.

"Is...is it _supposed_ to do that?" demanded Lars.

"Well, my gem does that sometimes," replied Steven, "When I'm using powers or opening Mom's room and stuff..."

The gem suddenly flashed, filling the room with a blinding light.

* * *

Sadie was standing in a small, round room, like the bridge of a spaceship. In the room there were five seats - four regular chairs in front of consoles, and a bigger one in front of a window that looked like a captain's chair. Outside was a void of white.

"Huh," said Sadie, " _Weird._ "

She turned around, looking for a door.

She froze.

A small, red gem was standing at the back of the room in front of a closed door. She had a square afro, and her gem was just under her collar. She wore the same uniform that Sadie did.

"Hello," she said, her voice quiet and shy-sounding.

"...dad?" Sadie whispered.

The Ruby - Kay stepped forward, smiling bashfully.

"Is that what I am?" she asked, "I thought we'd both be 'mom?' Human words are _strange._ "

"I...you _died_ , didn't you?" said Sadie, "Da...Clancy shot you! How are you here?"

"This is your mind, Sadie," replied Kay, "We're inside your gem..."

She scratched her chin.

"I _think_ you're Sadie, right? Barb said that's what we'd call you if you were a girl, but..."

"But why am I here?" asked Sadie, "Am...am I _dead?_ "

Kay shook her head.

"I just had a vision," said Sadie, "There were... _hundreds_ of Rubies, and these white gems called Agates, and some kind of Seraphinite? She was a general, I guess?"

"Yes," nodded Kay, "That's where I was made. It was my Kindergarten."

"Kindergarten? As in school?"

"No," replied Kay, "All gems are made in giant processing facilities they call Kindergartens. Mine was the last batch. It was destroyed after the next cycle."

"But they only picked some of the Rubies, didn't they?" quizzed Sadie, "What happened to the rest? And what was the white thing?"

Kay looked at her feet.

"White Diamond," she replied, "She shattered them all. They weren't useful."

Sadie swallowed.

" _Geez._ And you?"

"White Diamond took me into her service," Kay said, "I was ordered to help guard a high-priority weapon project called the Cluster."

She blinked, a tear running down her cheek.

"I never told them about my mission," she said, "I got...I got so scared that Rose would cast me out, and that I wouldn't see Barb again. And then Clancy came along before I could work up the courage, and it was so _stupid_ , and..."

"The Cluster?" interrupted Sadie, "Steven told me about something like that! Some kind of... _mega-gem_ , I guess, that was gonna come out of the Earth?"

"They found out?" said Kay.

"It's okay," nodded Sadie, "Steven bubbled it. I mean, I don't really know what that means, but..."

"Steven?" asked Kay, "Who's Steven?"

Sadie smiled.

"Rose's kid," she replied, "I think you'd like him."

"Rose had a kid?" gasped Kay, "But...but she would have known because... _because_..."

The air around them seemed to shift, growing colder. Sadie looked around, watching as the walls began to fade away.

"I-I guess this is all the time we have," said Kay, "I'm going away now..."

"Going away? But you'll just be in your gem, right?" asked Sadie, shaking her head.

"I don't think it works like that," replied Kay, "It's like...I'm gonna be here, but it's really gonna be me...it's like when humans go to sleep, except..."

"But I just found you!" exclaimed Sadie, "I don't wanna..."

Kay stepped forward and pulled Sadie into a hug.

"It's okay," she said, "It's _okay._ As long as you have my gem, I'll always be here."

Sadie remembered the old, grainy video of Rose Quartz.

 _"And I need you to know that every moment you love being yourself...that's_ me! _Loving you and loving_ being _you..._ "

She returned the hug, her eyes watering. She choked out a sob.

"At...at least I got to meet you, right?" she said.

Kay smiled.

"I love you, Sadie."

She and the whole world faded, and she was alone once more. She felt like she was falling...falling... _falling..._

She opened her eyes.

She was on a spaceship again, this one green in colour. Steven and Connie were staring down at him - as was a tall pink figure, kneeling down, his face a grimace of worry. His skin and clothes may have been unfamiliar, but the face and the small tuft of hair was unmistakable.

"Lars?"

"Sadie?"

Sadie sprung up, pulling Lars into a hug. For a long time nobody moved, and the only sound was that of Sadie quietly sobbing into Lars' shoulder.

* * *

AN: Hey look, it's Lars!


	4. A New Gem Glow

get it get it cause it's a callback to the first episode

ho ho ho

* * *

 **A New Gem Glow**

Lars took a deep breath.

" _Wow_ ," he said, "So your dad was actually _not_ your dad, and your _real_ dad was actually a gem, and you just glued that gem onto your body and now you're half gem."

"Well...yeah," nodded Sadie, "That's what happened."

They were gathered on the bridge - the Off-Colors had joined in now, and the room was beginning to feel a little crowded. Sadie honestly felt a little bit awkward, but she could feel the tension melting off her shoulders when she heard Lars' annoying voice. Even better, the whole lot was exceptionally kind - they were unconventional, certainly, but so was she.

One of the Rutile Twins - the left one - scratched her chin thoughtfully.

"Well, it's pretty fitting that you're a Ruby," she said.

"Your new gem goes well with your eyes," added the Right Rutile.

"My eyes?" quizzed Sadie, "But my eyes are green..."

"Uh, actually," said Steven, "They are..."

He pulled out his phone and turned on the camera, handing it to his friend.

Sadie stared into the screen. Her own face stared back, the same as it always was - save for the striking red pupils.

"...whoa," she whispered.

"If it means anything," said Amethyst, "I think they look pretty rad."

Sadie nodded slowly, swallowing. The reality of what she had just done sank slowly in.

"I...I guess I really did it, huh?" she said, "I...what now?"

There was a long silence.

"I dunno," replied Steven, "I didn't really think that far ahead."

"Well, you got your gem back," said Amethyst, "That means you've probably got Kay's powers now. So now you get to learn how to use 'em."

She shrugged. "Or don't. It's up to you."

"Well, maybe don't pressure her into diving right into this," snapped Lars, "I mean, she's just been through a pretty traumatic..."

"No," said Sadie, "No, I've come this far."

She looked down at her gem.

"I want to keep going."

Lars rubbed a hand over his face.

"Fine," he said, "Just… _fine_ , whatever. Just...just promise me you won't hurt yourself, alright? And Steven, _you've_ gotta promise me that you and your weird Gem family will look after her, alright?"

"Aye, captain!" replied Steven, saluting.

Lars turned to Connie.

"...and you look after _him_ ," he said.

"I-uh-yes, captain!" stammered Connie.

Lars chuckled to himself.

"And remember," Fluorite added slowly, "If things get too much on Earth, you can always come here..."

"Really?" asked Sadie, "I mean, apart from Lars, none of you know me."

"Well, if you're a friend of the captain," shrugged Rhodonite, "You've gotta be alright! Right?"

"Sadie's eyes have turned red!" exclaimed Padparadscha, "Amazing!"

Lars smiled at the small orange gem.

"Alright," said Sadie, smiling, "I… I'll remember that. That means a lot..."

"No problem," replied Left-Rutile.

"Us Off-Colors need to stick together," said Right-Rutile.

Sadie swallowed and wiped her eye.

"We should get back to Earth," said Peridot, "We'll need to work out how to explain this to Garnet and Pearl."

"We did it and they can live with it," snapped Amethyst, "That's what we're gonna tell 'em."

Lars bent down, pointing to his hair.

"Well, here you go," he said, "I...uh...good luck, Sadie."

Sadie hugged him.

"Thanks Lars," she replied, "You too."

"He-hey, don't make this lame, alright!" stammered Lars, "Just...just be safe."

Sadie chuckled, and one by one they climbed back through.

For the second time, there was a long silence, but this one was filled with a stinging sort of absence.

"Sadie's always welcome here," said Padparadscha sweetly.

Lars smiled.

"Thanks, Pad," he said.

* * *

The phone rang.

Drowsily, Clancy took his phone out of his jacket and answered. It was late at his new office - Bracknell had already gone to bed. Clancy had always been a night owl, and he liked the solitude of being the last one in the office.

"Agent Miller."

" _Hello, Clancy._ "

"Barb?"

Clancy stood up, leaning against the desk.

"Is...is there a reason you..." he began.

" _I thought you'd want an update,_ " said Barb, " _Sadie's gone. She's bunking with Steven and the Gems. I...I guess I can't blame her, Lord knows I'd do the same._ "

"I'm sorry to hear that," nodded Clancy.

He found that he genuinely was.

" _Yeah_ ," grunted Barb, " _She took Kay's gem, which means it's probably only a matter of time until she tries..._ "

"Yeah, yeah, I'd figure," nodded Clancy, "I don't honestly think it's _possible_ , Barb, but if I was her, I'd definitely try."

Barb snorted.

" _I guess she got something from you after all._ "

"Hmm," said Clancy, "I'd always hoped she wouldn't. I'm a _terrible_ role-model."

" _Yeah, you are._ "

There was a momentary silence. Then Clancy chuckled, and was surprised to hear Barb do the same.

"Are you holding out alright?" asked Clancy.

" _What's it matter to you, Clancy?_ " replied Barb, " _We've been done for ages._ "

"I know," nodded Clancy, "I'm just asking."

There was another brief silence.

" _It's quiet,_ " replied Barb, " _Heck, quiet enough to get me to call_ you."

"Hell, it's quiet enough here to get me to answer you," Clancy shot back.

He sighed heavily and sat down.

"What happened to us, Barb?" he asked, "We've got everything we wanted, didn't we? Why's it feel so..."

"... _empty?_ "

"Yeah," said Clancy.

There was a long silence.

"You got anyone?" he asked.

" _Not since Kay_ ," replied Barb, " _You?_ "

"Not since you."

He heard Barb swallow.

" _Okay, let's cut the small talk, I still hate you, Clancy_ ," she said, " _But...look, if anything happens with Sadie, I'll...I'll let you know, alright?_ "

"I appreciate that," replied Clancy, "And I'll keep the OSS off her back."

" _...thanks._ "

Clancy sighed and looked at the clock on the wall. It was stopped - it probably had been for years.

"Well, I'll talk to you later," he said.

" _Yep_ ," replied Barb, " _Take care of yourself, Clancy._ "

"You too."

Clancy hung up and put his phone down. He sighed heavily and buried his face in his hands.

* * *

The room was white and featureless - in many ways, it was fairly typical of White Diamond's domain. At the end of the room was a giant window that looked out over the depths of space. This was a meditation room, available for use only by gems of knowledge like Sapphires, and it was aboard White Diamond's flagship.

Seraphinite listened, not moving a muscle, as the two gems dragged their captive into the room. They were both White Agates - one of them stepped forward, saluting shakily.

"Su-Su-Supreme Marshal," she said, "I...we regret to i-inform you that-that the prisoner has not spoken, ma'am."

Seraphinite nodded.

"Thank you, Agate," she said, "Leave the prisoner here."

The Agates threw the prisoner to the ground.

"Dismissed."

They walked away, and Seraphinite regarded the prisoner.

"Lapis Lazuli, isn't it?" she said.

Lapis stared up at her captor, battered and bruised. She shuddered as she realised what gem she was looking at - she swallowed loudly. Seraphinite could feel her apprehension, and thought she could detect the faintest hint of defiance.

"There's no need to fear, Lapis," said Seraphinite, sounding almost kind, "I believe we can help each other. You must forgive the poor treatment of my Agates - they are a violent and unsophisticated bunch."

She knelt down and put a spindly hand on Lapis' shoulder.

"You've been in contact with Rose Quartz, haven't you?" she asked.

"I-I-I don't know what y-you're talking about," stammered Lapis.

"Please don't lie to me, Lapis," said Seraphinite, "Yellow Diamond insists on turning Homeworld upside down looking for her, but Her Eminence White Diamond knows she has returned to Earth. Where is she, Lapis?"

Lapis swallowed, trying to stop her shaking.

"I...I _can't_ , I'm sorry...she-he's not Rose, Supreme Marshal, Rose Quartz doesn't-doesn't exist anymore, I..."

"That is a lie, Lapis," said Seraphinite, "Rose has misled you. She was always charismatic in that way, you cannot be blamed for it."

"No, _no_ , Steven _isn't_ Rose! Uh...I-I mean, she's not R-Rose, Su-Supreme Marshal," replied Lapis.

Seraphinite shook her head.

"Lapis, My Diamond is willing to make you an offer," she said, "If you lead us to Rose Quartz, then you will have my word that you will be allowed to live freely, relieved of your commitment to your Diamond - Blue, I believe? She is even willing to spare the Earth."

Lapis swallowed.

"And Peridot? Would she spare her, too?"

Seraphinite nodded.

"I don't see why not."

Lapis stared, hands shaking. She seemed to be seriously considering Seraphinite's offer. Then she shook her head and looked at the floor. Seraphinite could sense her disgust - with herself, perhaps, for considering betraying Rose? Seraphinite couldn't guess.

"I can't," she said, "I...I _won't_. I'm sorry, Supreme Marshal, but I can't betray him like that."

Seraphinite nodded. She lifted Lapis' chin up, looking her in the eye.

"Your loyalty is commendable, Lapis Lazuli," she said, "If only it had not been so misguided."

Her thin mouth stretched into a grimace. She felt Lapis shake harder under her grip - she could just about smell the fear, and the intoxicating scent was almost enough to break her from her stoic demeanour.

 _Almost_.

She stood up, hands behind her back. She gazed down at the gem on the floor, making sure to make herself as tall and intimidating as possible.

"You will still help us, Lapis," she said, " _Willingly_ , in fact. Rose Quartz will be laid low, not simply by _you_ , but by the pathetic _humans_ she loves so much."

"I...I _won't!_ " shouted Lapis.

Seraphinite allowed herself the smallest smirk as she reached up to her gem.

The object she pulled out was long and white - it was an ornamental staff, the shape of a diamond on the top. It was not her weapon specifically - Seraphinite's job and set of powers rather precluded the necessity for one. Rather, it was an object that she'd had the great honour of being bestowed upon by White Diamond herself.

She gently took it in her hands and pointed the diamond end at Lapis' head. Her eyes widened.

"Is that...is that a _white_..."

"This was made by White Diamond," replied Seraphinite, "For when she can't be present."

Lapis began to crawl backwards.

"No," she begged, "No, _please_ , not this... _not this..._ "

"You left me no choice, Lapis," replied Seraphinite, "If you will not behave, we will have to _make_ you behave."

She placed the diamond on Lapis' head.

Lapis' jaw slackened as her eyes went blank. The room was filled with a brilliant light that radiated from the staff, and strange, ethereal music could be heard playing. Seraphinite barely listened - her sympathy was the feeling of mental energy being focused into Lapis' mind. They manifested as soft, rasping whispers.

 _Obey...obey...obey..._

What Seraphinite was doing was not something that was ever done lightly. It was reserved for those gems too unruly and disobedient to be left unpunished, but too important to be shattered or incarcerated. Some might say it was shockingly cruel - but this was the will of the Diamonds, and how could a Diamond be cruel?

 _Loyalty...loyalty..._

In any case, it left an obedient servant, willing to do whatever they were commanded to do, without sacrificing any of their intelligence or skills. It was like scrubbing the rebelliousness out of a gem, cleansing them of all negative traits while retaining the positive ones.

Except that wasn't really the case. The personality, unfortunately, could not be destroyed. There would always be a small part of the mind left untouched.

 _Hate..._

Trapped in their own body.

 _Hate..._

Watching as their very form acted against them. Impotent.

 ** _HATE..._**

 _Screaming._

The light died down, and Seraphinite withdrew the staff. Slowly, Lapis stood up - her pupils had returned, and it looked to all the world like nothing had happened.

"Lapis," said Seraphinite, "What is your mission."

"To capture Rose Quartz," replied Lapis calmly.

"And are you prepared to shatter her if necessary?" nodded Seraphinite.

"Yes, Supreme Marshal," said Lapis, "Anything for My Diamond."

Seraphinite felt emotions radiating from the mind of the blue gem, who looked so calm and at ease. It was like a caged animal thrashing at her bonds, desperately trying to make something, _anything_ respond to her. She could taste anger, fear and total, utter _despair._

Seraphinite closed her eyes and breathed in, the empty taste of air cleaning her palette of the traitor's inner turmoil.

" _Perfect_ ," she said.

* * *

AN: Geez, Sera, that's a bit cruel.


	5. No Smoke Without Fire

In which we see the dangers of smoking. (Sorry).

* * *

 **No Smoke Without Fire**

" _Amethyst! You have no idea what might have gone wrong!_ "

"It was _her_ gem, Pearl! It's not up to you if she puts it back on!"

"And what would have happened if she'd died?! _How would you explain that to..._ "

Garnet shut the door, muffling the argument of the two furious gems.

"Are they gonna be okay?" Sadie asked nervously.

Garnet didn't reply. She led Sadie to the balcony, Steven, Connie and Peridot following awkwardly behind.

It was early dawn, the sun slowly rising over the sea. There was a breeze in the air - it was just cool enough to make the hairs on Sadie's skin prick up, which combined with the heavy atmosphere made her feel deeply uneasy.

For a long time, nobody spoke - the only sounds were the muffled shouting inside the house and the distant calls of the seagulls. In the silence, Garnet's expression spoke volumes. Sadie almost wished she'd start yelling at them or lecturing them; as it was, the quiet gnawed at her, and her mind began to imagine a hundred catastrophes that could emerge from the coming conversation.

"Did you know we'd do this?" asked Connie.

"I knew you _might_ ," nodded Garnet, "And it's done now."

She turned to Steven.

"Pearl will calm down soon," she said.

"And Amethyst?"

"...will take a little longer," replied Garnet.

The door flew open and Amethyst stormed out. Muttering angrily to herself, she walked down the steps and along the beach, towards the town.

Peridot glanced to Garnet, who nodded.

"Hey Amethyst, wait up!" called Peridot, running after her friend.

Garnet watched the two small gems disappear before turning to Sadie.

Sadie swallowed, seeing herself reflected in Garnet's visor. She didn't think the gem was angry _per say_ , but she certainly seemed a little bit disappointed. In many ways, that was actually worse - if she were mad, Sadie would at least know where they stood.

"You're a gem now," she said.

"Heh," gulped Sadie, "Yeah, i-it's been a night..."

"You need to train," declared Garnet, "Your powers could be dangerous if they're not properly honed. _We_ will train you."

"Okay," nodded Sadie, "Uh, thanks, I..."

" _Good_ ," said Garnet, "Because training starts now."

There was a shrill beep, and Sadie pulled her phone out of her pocket.

"Buck? What's he...oh my god, I totally forgot!" she exclaimed, "We're supposed to be recording a music video tonight!"

"...training starts tomorrow," said Garnet.

For the briefest of moments, Sadie thought she saw her smile ever so slightly. But before she could tell for sure, she had turned her back and was walking away.

* * *

Greg had decided to get some lunch. It had been a long morning - one of the farmers from outside Beach City had decided to take their tractor in for a wash. He was dirty and worn, and he was definitely going to charge more for washing farm equipment in the future.

He'd sprayed himself with the hose to clean off and wandered to the boardwalk. He considered picking up some of Peedee's tater tots, but decided he was a bit hungrier than that and walked down to Fish Stew Pizza. He figured he'd sit near the window - it was a nice day and it would be good to bask in the sun for a while.

He stopped at the window. Barb was sitting at the table next to it. She looked haggard and worn, and her eyes were red rimmed.

For a moment, Greg thought of leaving her alone. But she looked so sad and so lonely that he couldn't bring himself to just walk past.

He walked inside and sat across from her.

"Hey Barb!" he said.

Barb mumbled a reply. Greg could smell her breath - there was a faint hint of red wine.

"Long night, huh?" he asked.

"What's it to you, Greg?" muttered Barb.

He said nothing, and she sighed.

"It's just so damn quiet, Greg," she said mournfully, "I come home at night and there's _nothing_."

She leaned forward, clutching her temples.

"I should have just told her, Greg," she sighed, "But I thought I was protecting her..."

Greg put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing slightly to calm her down.

"You did what you thought was the right thing," he said, "No one could've asked you to do more."

"I'm a terrible mother," groaned Barb.

"Terrible?" replied Greg, "Barb, you've always been there for Sadie. You did everything a mom's supposed to do and _more._ Any yeah, she's upset right now, and there's not a lot you can do about that, but she'll come back. Just give it time."

He smiled.

"And until she does," he said, "You're welcome to come talk to me. Anytime."

Barb swallowed and nodded, sitting back up.

"It...it means a lot, Greg," she said, "Thanks."

"No prob, Bob," chuckled Greg.

He crossed his arms and smirked.

"So, you up for cards tonight at Vidalia's?" he asked.

Barb smiled back.

"Yeah," she said, "I just about reckon I am..."

* * *

A few miles north of Ocean Town was an old freight depot.

Once upon a time, the depot had been served by the Delmarva & Northern Railroad. It served a cannery, farms, a few small factories and even a brewery in Ocean Town. Trains would ferry these goods north, to Wilmingmore, to Jersey and Empire City, and even far beyond into New England. But things changed - the cannery closed, the farms turned to trucks, the brewery burnt down. Eventually, the depot was no longer viable, and the company quietly closed it. Now, the old rails rusted quietly away, and the grey and brown buildings slowly fell apart, forgotten by all the world.

It was a perfect backdrop for a music video. Onion, apparently, had told Sour Cream about the place, and he had scouted it out. It was, in his humble opinion, pretty rad.

They filmed in the old goods shed, among the shapes of rusting wagons. The wooden platform served as a stage, and a rusty black steam engine was their backdrop. Sadie looked over the elderly locomotive. It was a miserable sight; the funnel was bent out of shape, and much of the cladding that covered the boiler had been stolen. The smokebox door was slightly ajar, exposing the corroding tubes inside. It looked worn out and depressed - a little bit like how Sadie felt, actually.

Self-consciously, she adjusted her collar, making sure to hide her gem. The concept was simple enough - she was an undead engineer, cursed forever to roam the rails in a fruitless attempt to reach Chattanooga. Buck, Jenny, Sour Cream and Steven played the train crew and passengers - as did Connie, who was providing a string accompaniment to the song.

Sour Cream and Steven were setting up the cameras, while Jenny and Connie were comparing notes. Sadie was left alone.

She heard footsteps, and glanced to her left to find Buck approaching.

"Hey Buck," she said.

Buck didn't reply, looking thoughtfully at the engine.

"Pretty cool backdrop, huh?" he said, "I think it's a Baldwin E2 Atlantic. Early 1900s. Pretty rare, huh?"

Sadie raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Never took you for a train buff," she said.

Buck shrugged.

"I used to sit in the corner of the library during recess as a kid," he said, "Train books had the biggest pictures."

He buried his hands in his pocket.

"I didn't have many friends back then," he said.

"But what about Sour Cream and Jenny?" asked Sadie.

"Dad sent me to a different school," replied Buck, "A private school in Ocean Town. It got pretty lonely."

"Geez, sorry to hear that," said Sadie.

"Don't be," replied Buck, "It made me who I am."

He adjusted his sunglasses and smiled.

"But how about you?" he asked, "You doing okay?"

Sadie tugged at the collar of her stained-brown tunic, shuffling her feet slightly and gazing intently at the engine to avoid eye contact with Buck. The old rusting machinery around her seemed to grow taller, the shadows darker, the air denser. She began to wonder what she was doing here; how was she supposed to focus on singing when her thoughts were still racing?

She closed her eyes and breathed in.

"I...no, I'm not," sighed Sadie bitterly, "I'm just...not. Everything's messed up and I have no idea where I am."

"Yeah, that's pretty rough," nodded Buck.

He put a hand on Sadie's shoulder.

"Word of advice," said Buck, "It's okay to be..."

"Sad? Yeah, I get that," said Sadie, "I..."

Buck put a hand on her shoulder, and the touch seemed to her unusually sympathetic. She imagined her expression must be more severe than usual to elicit such a reaction from Buck Dewey, of all people - the teen's stoicism was rivalled only by Garnet.

Then again, it could be a by-product of _literally_ having eyes the colour of fire and fury, but who was she to say?

"Not sad," said Buck, " _Angry._ "

Buck's face set in a frown.

"Sometimes you've just gotta get really _mad_ before you can start feeling better," said Buck, "If you feel like you need to scream, Sadie, then _scream_. Scream it all out."

He said it all with the save even tone he always spoke with, and Sadie wondered if he was joking.

"Uh...thanks, but I've never seen _you_ mad, and..."

"Then you've never seen him play Superb Slam Buds," laughed Jenny, walking up to them.

"That game is rigged," grunted Buck.

"Just because you can't beat Smirby doesn't mean it's rigged, Buck," said Jenny dryly, "C'mon, everything's set up."

Buck nodded.

"Remember what I said."

He and Sadie walked off down the platform.

Sadie took a deep breath, clenching her fists. She felt her emotions building within her; confusion, betrayal, fear of the unknown, sadness and, yes, a little bit of anger. She put her hand over her chest and felt the still alien sensation of her gem. She thought about her mother and Clancy; how they'd hid this from her, and how Garnet and Pearl had helped them. They thought they were right to do it, and maybe they were, but it still stung.

Maybe Buck was right; maybe she _did_ need to blow off some steam.

* * *

The filming went well. Sadie had appreciated the opportunity to let loose and do something she loved, and her feelings fed into her portrayal of the cursed, ghostly engineer. There were a few problems with the lighting, but Sour Cream had managed to fix them - other than that, all went smoothly.

They had packed everything up outside and were waiting for Greg to arrive to give them a lift back to town. This was going to take a while - it was game night at Vidalia's - so to pass the time, they gathered in the old shed and talked.

"Thanks for letting me help with the video," said Connie.

"No problem," replied Sour Cream, "You really killed it with that violin."

Sadie lay on her back and sighed. Jenny glanced over to her.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked.

"I'm fine," replied Sadie.

"You sure?"

Sadie took a deep breath.

"No," she declared, "I'm _not_."

She climbed to her feet.

"My mom spent _years_ ," she said, " _Years_ , telling me that my dad was a low-life good-for-nothing scumbag who left her on her own. That he was just a pencil-pushing, careerist, _cowardly_ suit in Washington. I spent so long thinking my dad never wanted me. And everyone who knew the truth went along with her - Garnet, Pearl, D..."

Her eyes narrowed.

" _Clancy_ ," she continued, "Would it have _killed_ him to at least pretend he loved me? So I didn't have to wonder what I'd done wrong? So I didn't have to look at Steven's dad, at Ronaldo's dad, at Buck's dad and your dad and Yellowtail and wonder what you had that I didn't?!"

"Uh, my dad's a jerk," interjected Sour Cream, raising his hand.

Sadie glared at him and he lowered his hand.

"My real dad was willing to _die_ to have me," snapped Sadie, pacing back and forth, "Just like Steven's mom! And he always knew about her and I know that's not his fault but why couldn't they tell me about Kay? Why did it have to be a _secret?_ "

Steven and Connie glanced at each other in concern. Next to them, Sour Cream looked rather confused, as if he was wondering where this had come from. Buck looked stoic as ever, but there seemed to be the faintest smile on his face. Jenny was leaning forward, looking both shocked and just a little bit proud of her friend's outburst.

Sadie gritted her teeth, stopping next to a big wooden support pole. She clenched her fists.

"And the worst thing is," she growled, "No matter how angry I get, no matter how much I want to, I...I wanna _hate_ them, but I can't, and it's..."

She closed her eyes, screamed and punched the pole as hard as she could.

As her fist made contact with the wooden surface, it briefly felt slightly warm, as if she had submerged it in freshly-run bathwater. Odd - she'd expected it to hurt (and it did a little, but not as much as she'd expected.) She heard a startled cry behind her.

She opened her eyes.

The support pole had been engulfed in flames. She stepped back and looked at her hand - a few dying embers fell from her fingers, but it was otherwise completely unharmed.

As the fire spread across the wooden floor in front of her, she put a hand over her gem again. She didn't feel particularly hot. More than anything, she felt numb.

What happened next, she wouldn't really remember. Her brain seemed to have shut off. She vaguely remembered Buck and Jenny dragging her out of the shed, but that was about it. The next thing she really knew, she was sitting on the back of Greg's van, watching the Ocean Town Fire Brigade putting out the last of the flames that had consumed the old shed. The sky above was slightly red, and the air smelt like burnt wood. Steven was talking to her.

"...I know it feels bad, but it isn't your fault."

Sadie shook her head and looked down at her hands.

"...I... _I_ did that," she breathed.

"Yeah, but it was an accident!" exclaimed Steven, "I did stuff like this all the time when I was learning my powers. It's fine, it's not your fault..."

Sadie lay back, burying her head in her hands.

"Oh, this week just gets better and better," she muttered.

She felt the van rock slightly as someone sat next to her. She didn't look.

"Steven, I just wanna be..."

"You alright, Sadie?"

She pulled her hands from her face. Jenny had sat down next to her, and Buck, Sour Cream and Connie were standing outside the van, looking concerned. Sadie sighed.

"I get it," sighed Sadie, "I set things on fire now. I get that you don't wanna be around me anymore..."

"And lose Sadie Killer?" interrupted Buck, "No way."

"You're one of us now," said Jenny, putting a reassuring hand on Sadie's shoulder, "We've got your back."

"Besides," said Sour Cream, "I got some of the fire on the camera. Might be able to edit it into the video."

"Plus, Greg called the railroad company and they said they're not gonna sue," finished Connie.

"Point is," said Jenny, "You wanna vent at someone, call us. You want someone to listen to you, call us. You want a shoulder to cry on, _call us_. We're your friends, Sadie - it's all good."

Sadie nodded, swallowing. She opened her mouth to reply, but all that came out was a choked sob.

"Aw, c'mere."

Jenny pulled Sadie close as she burst into tears. Burying her face in Jenny's shoulder, she let everything out.

* * *

AN: Because I forgot to say it in the last chapter, I'd like to thank realfakedoors from Ao3 for proofreading this.


End file.
